Lifetime Ferguson collection goes under the hammer

Ferguson collection to go to auction:
Clive Kowald is selling his collection of Ferguson tractors and an assortment of related and other items in a clearing auction.

KEPT in the backyard of a central Toowoomba home is an impressive collection you would not expect to find.

Clive Kowald has been collecting Ferguson tractors and other items since the 1980s and is about to put his lifetime of finds up for auction.

"It was just a Fergie tractor, my first one, and it just went from there," Mr Kowald said.

"And then I started off on stationary motors and grain grinders and that sort of stuff."

Mr Kowald loves his extensive collection but said the time had come, as well as running out of room, to sell it off. His 531sqm home block and a neighbour's block stored the items, which include more than 20 tractors and almost 500 other items, from anvils to stationary motors and even kitchen sinks.

"There's a house two doors down, people from Injune own that, and we used to look after their yard so I had a lot of my tractors there," Mr Kowald said.

Clive Kowald is selling his collectiion of Ferguson tractors and an assortment of related and other items in a clearing sale.
Kevin Farmer

"I started collecting in the 1980s and I just like collecting so that's why I have done it," he said.

"But I just had to stop because I was getting too much stuff."

Mr Kowald said he had a Ferguson tractor while he was growing up on a dairy farm at Landsbourough, which he left when he was 18 years old.

After that he would see them driving on the side of the road, would stop, and ask the driver if they wanted to sell.

Mr Kowald kept finding tractors this way and also travelled all over to find special pieces, to places such as Blackall, Springsure, Injune and Bundaberg and online from eBay.

While he has not worked as a farmer since leaving the dairy farm, Mr Kowald has spent his life working with dozers and other machinery, enjoying his collection on the weekends.

UP FOR AUCTION: Elders selling agents Trevor Leishman (left) and Errol Luck are helping Clive Kowald (right) to sell his collectiion of Ferguson tractors and an assortment of related and other items in a clearing sale.
Kevin Farmer

"Especially with the tractors. This sort of stuff a lot of guys have it, but not quite as much," he said

"And really they (Fergusons) were the tractor that started developing Australia."

Mr Leishman said a price could not be put on the collection and there was no way to tell what sort of prices would come at the clearing sale. The clearing sale will be held on Saturday with a 9.30am start at Canning St, Drayton.